Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-09-04
POSTOFFICE ROBBERS.
Ex.Inspector NcwcOmc Tells
How Frauds are Detected.
Correspondence OF the Mail.

How Frauds are Detected.
Correspondence of the MALL
New York CRY, April 14.-Th,
New York Postoflice building is at tn
junction of Broadway and Park row
1t is massive structure, and beinl
thus prominently situated it become
an object of interest to all visitors t,
the lower part of Broadway
From the time that Mr.. Pearson
the present postmaster, first entered
the office as superintendent. the ser
vice in the New York office com
menced to improve, and being backet
by his chief, Mr.. James, he uneartheC
many grave Irregularities. 1t is largely
due to his untiring exertions that the
office to-day ranks the highest anc
gives its patrons by fsr the best ser
vice of any postoffice in the United
States.
AS you enter the postoffice building
from the front you will find yourself
in the lobby, thoroughfare extend
ing from the Broadway side around
the front to Park row. At one time il
was great field for the pickpocket
and the confidence man. This latter
class would meet the unwary visitor
from the rural districts, and first fore
ing an acquaintance in some mysteri-
GUS way would interest the country
man in some scheme. These schemes
would all end alike the man from out
of town, in his eagerness to obtain a
great sum of money on small invest
ment, would invariably be swindled
out Of all his ready money, and if he
left his new-made friend with clothes
enough to make himself presentable
on the street he would be extremely
fortunate.
1881 Detective L. A. Newcome was
appointed by Postmaster-Genera
James as a Postotfice Inspector in
charge of the New York Division, and
one OF his first acts was to rid the
lobby of this class of rascals. AS the
people who had been defrauded re.
fused to make complaints for fear their
friends at home would learn through
the press that they had been SO easily
duped, none of the confidence opera
tors were ever arrested. But on one
or more occasions being seen in the
lobby they were ordered out, and not
obeying Immediately they were
elected. MIR. Newcome's great crimi-
nal acquaintance served him in this
particular, and these men, soon learn
ing how they would be treated if dis
covered in the lobby, finally disap-
peared.
No view of the interior of the post
office can be obtained from the lobby,
and it is necessary to procure a per-
init from the postmaster before you
are allowed to enter. The New York
postotfice is the largest in the United
States, and is by far the best regulat-
ed. You stand in the gallery In the
general Office overlooking the clerks
distributing letters, the letter-carriers
asserting and setting up their mail
preparatory to going out on their
routes, all SO intent on their various
duties that they do not even stop to
look at the stranger as he passes be-
tween the long letter cases. Then
at the sound of a bell
the letter carriers form in line
and marching to the rear of the dis
tributing cases take the letters that
have been placed thereon by the
clerks who are continually distributing
the mail as it is brought to them from
the stamping table by the messenger
The carriers return to their desk and
are obliged to have the mail just pro-
duced all arranged, so that when the
second bell rings ten minutes later,
they will leave the office to 90 on their
routes. Their places at the desk are
Immediately filled by the relief car
riers, who have to go through the
same form and be ready to leave the
Office as soon as their time is up. But
this is only the city delivery depart
ment.
On the Broadway side of the office
is an army OF clerks distributing mail
matter, and the continual thump of
the hand-stamp as it is used by differ
ent men reminds one of a factory.
On the floor below, twenty feet I'M
der the sidewalk, one finds the same
systematic way of doing business.
Very little first-class mail is
handled there; it is nearly all
second, third and fourth-class mat
ter; and in this basement is the
repair shop, where all pouches that
have become torn are repaired or con-
demned. And then you will find a
regular printing office, where weekly
paper is printed and distributed among
the employees, giving information on
certain points, notice of all transfers,
discharges, etc.
The registry department is on the
second floor. 1t has been estimated
that this department handles on an
average in value more in one day than
three OF our largest banks.
Detective l.. A. Newcome, late in
spector of the New York Postoffice,
being questioned by the writer as to
the integrity of its vast force of en-
ployes, said:
"In the general postoffice and its
branches there are over 1000 employees.
Some of these men have been in the
service a great many years, but most
of them are new men admitted under
civil service law. While under this
rule great many good men
have been obtained for the postal
service, still there is an opening
through which INSCRIPTIONS men
can gain adlnittance. About two
years ago a tough character passed the
civil service examination and received
his appointment. He was detailed to
the registered letter department. He
had been in the service only about a
week when, in saloon in Varick
street, he was overheard by one of my
men to say that he only went into the
postotfice to steal, and he had got into
the registered letter department, where
some day he would astonish the boys
by making a big haul. 1t is, perhaps,
needless to state that after l had
reported this to the postmaster
the young man was Immediately dis
charged. 1t was then learned that he
was an ex-convict, and has since been
arrested for burglary and is now serv-
ing his time. My experience teaches
me that the majority of Postoffice en-
ployees are strictly honest, but once
in while black sheep will stray